Golfing aid

ABSTRACT

The invention provides a directional aid for use in practicing golf strokes, and comprises two guides which are adjustably connectable at right angles one to the other and one of said guides has pivoted to its upper end a third guide which is locatable at right angles thereto and slidable therealong. The two guides are seated in a slotted connecting member to which a cap is threadedly secured to hold the two guides in their right angular relationship. The cap includes a central spigot for bearing against the crossing point of the two guides.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Stanley Benson Caldwell 31 MeolsDrive, l-loylake, Wirral, Cheshire, England [2]] App]. No. 9,716

[22] Filed Feb. 9, 1970 [45] Patented Oct. 5, 1 971 [54] GOLFING AID 4Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl. 273/187 R [51] Int. Cl A63 69/36 [50] Field of Search273/186, 187, 195

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,517,555 12/1924 Graham273/187 R 2,025,519 12/1935 Lingg 273/187 R X 2,169,407 8/1939 Crowley273/187 R FOREIGN PATENTS 839,283 6/1960 Great Britain 273/187 R PrimaryExaminer-George J. Marlo Attorney-Linton & Linton GOLFING AID Thisinvention relates to the game of golf.

It is generally recognized that for accurate and powerful hitting of agolf ball, as opposed to putting, it is essential to address the ballcorrectly, and to this end it is a common and accepted procedure for aplayer in lining up" to make a stroke, to place his feet at what heconsiders to be at right angles to the intended line of flight of theball, see that his shoulders are parallel to said line of flight, andthat the club shaft is also at right angles thereto. After thispreliminary procedure, the feet are spread apart and the body posturesuited to swinging the club to be used.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a directional aid,for use in practicing golf strokes, which will enable a player todetermine more precisely when he is correctly orientated relative to therequired line of flight of a ball to be played whereby theabove-described lining up procedure is facilitated.

Broadly, according to the invention, a device for the purpose specifiedcomprises a first guide composed of a suitable, relatively rigid,material, a second guide similar to said first guide, means foradjustably connecting said first guide and said second guide at rightangles one to the other, and said second guide being provided at oradjacent one end with a third guide which may be pivoted from a firstposition in line with said second guide to a second position at rightangles thereto and parallel, in use, with said first guide.

. Said guides may be graduated in inches, or in other desired units oflength and be of any cross-sectional shape commensurate withthe end inview. Conveniently said guides are in strip form.

The invention is further described with the aid of the accompanyingexplanatory drawings which illustrate by way of example only and not oflimitation one embodiment.

In said drawings:

FIG. I is a plan view of a golfing aid according to the invention, and

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the device drawn to an enlargedscale as compared with FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken as on line IIl-III of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view in perspective of the connecting means.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view in elevation of the upper end ofthe device as viewed in FIG. 1.

Referring to said drawings, the letter A generally denotes a firstguide, the letter B a second guide, and C connector means for adjustablyconnecting said guides A and B at right angles one to the other as shownin FIG. 1. D denotes a third guide which is pivotally connected by a pinto the upper end of the guide B.

The various components A, B, C and D may be constructed from anysuitable material and conveniently one of the socalled plasticscompositions. The guides A and B are in this instance in strip formabout 3 feet long by about half an inch in width and, as shown, may besuitably graduated in desired units of length. The guide D iscorrespondingly dimensioned.

The connector means C comprises a base piece 11 formed with a flange I2and a screw-threaded boss 13 which provided with two slots or groovesl4, 15. The slot 15 is greater in depth than the slot 14 by about thethickness of one of the guides A and B.

The connector C also comprises a cap 16 having an internallyscrew-threaded skirt 17 for screwing onto the boss 13 of the base piece11, and a central spigot 18.

As shown most clearly in FIG. 4, the guides A and B may be adjustablyconnected at right angles one to the other by locating same in thegrooves l4, 15 of the boss 13 and then applying the cap 16 which isscrewed down on the boss 13 so that the spigot 18 thereof bears againstthe crossing point of the guides A and B to lock same in requiredposition, see more particularly FIG. 3.

A slider component 20 mounted on the guide B functions to locate theguide D in a position at right angles to the guide B as shown in FIGS. 1and 5.

In use, said first guide A is laid upon the ground and, by

sighting along same, is aligned with an appropriate aiming point, e.g. agreen flag. The second guide B is adjusted along said guide A so as toindicate at right angles thereto the required position of a ball to beplayed. The third guide D provides a guideline, parallel with the guideA, indicating the intended line of flight of the ball and also indicatesthe correct direction the club head should take backwards from andforwards through the ball.

The player stands with his feet aligned with the guide A and with hisclub shaft and ball aligned with the guide B. When correct alignment hasbeen effected, the second guide may be retracted a short distance inorder that a stroke may be played without obstruction, and then guide Dis positioned to enable the player to see the required direction of theclub head back and through the ball.

Experiment has shown that repetitive use of the device when practicinggolf strokes enables a player to more correctly appreciate when he islined up accurately relative to a required line of play.

Preferably, apertures as 2! are provided in the guide strips A and Bwherethrough pegs or pins (conveniently golf tees) may be passed intothe ground thereby to locate the device in required position againstaccidental displacement after alignment.

It will be seen that a golfing aid as described may readily be assembledfor use, and as readily dismantled for storage and transport purposes.When dismantled the guides A, B and D may be laid in paralleljuxtaposition and held in such position by the connector means C. Ahousing or container may of course be provided to hold the device whendismantled.

Iclaim:

1. A directional aid for use in practicing golf strokes, comprising afirst guide, a second guide similar to said first guide, means foradjustably connecting said first guide and said second guide at rightangles one to the other, said second guide being provided at one endwith a third guide which is pivotally attached thereto said connectingmeans comprises a screw-threaded base piece slotted to receive saidfirst and second guides at right angles one to the other, and ascrewthreaded cap for fitment to said base piece thereby to hold saidfirst and second guides in required disposition.

2. A directional aid for use in practicing golf strokes, as claimed inclaim 1, wherein said cap comprises a central spigot for bearing againstthe crossing point of said first and second guides.

3. A directional aid for use in practicing golf strokes, as claimed inclaim 2, wherein said third guide is locatable at right angles to saidsecond guide whereto it is pivoted, by means of a component slidablymounted on said second guide.

4. A directional aid for use in practicing golf strokes, as claimed inclaim 3, wherein said first and second guides are in strip form and areprovided with apertures for the reception of securing pins.

1. A directional aid for use in practicing golf strokes, comprising afirst guide, a second guide similar to said first guide, means foradjustably connecting said first guide and said second guide at rightangles one to the other, said second guide being provided at one endwith a third guide which is pivotally attached thereto said connectingmeans comprises a screw-threaded base piece slotted to receive saidfirst and second guides at right angles one to the other, and ascrew-threaded cap for fitment to said base piece thereby to hold saidfirst and second guides in required disposition.
 2. A directional aidfor use in practicing golf strokes, as claimed in claim 1, wherein saidcap comprises a central spigot for bearing against the crossing point ofsaid first and second guides.
 3. A directional aid for use in practicinggolf strokes, as claimed in claim 2, wherein said third guide islocatable at right angles to said second guide whereto it is pivoted, bymeans of a component slidably mounted on said second guide.
 4. Adirectional aid for use in practicing golf strokes, as claimed in claim3, wherein said first and second guides are in strip form and areprovided with aperturEs for the reception of securing pins.